Letters From the Labyrinth - Brian Keene 207

I'm Brian Keene and this is the 207th issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. The previous issues are archived here.
Normally, you have these missives waiting patiently in your inbox by 6 or 7 in the morning (East Coast Time) but I'm running late today. The Scares That Care virtual Halloween Party ran until just before midnight, and then I stayed up for an hour afterward, eating pizza and watching old reruns of COPS and being very still.
A big thank you to (in order of appearance) V Castro, Pam Blazi, Allura Blazi, Dakota Lawrence, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Robert Ford, Joe R. Lansdale, David J. Schow, John Skipp, Wrath James White, Brad Bradley and C.P.R.I., John Urbancik, Sarah Langan, and Alfred Guy. Thanks as well to my co-host (and Scares That Care's founder and CEO) Joe Ripple. And, as always, thanks to everyone who donated.
The entire 6 hour livestream can be viewed here. Also, I read a story, as well, near the very end -- "Halloween In Cayuga Creek" (first time I've read that one anywhere). Do check it out when you get a chance.

This is a screen grab from the stream. Gonna tell my kids this was Justin Bieber with the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin.
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This week was all about foreign language releases of my work. I signed with Festa Verlag for two more books -- German translations of THE COMPLEX and GHOST WALK.
The Spanish edition of THE RISING: DELIVERANCE (the fourth book in the five book THE RISING series) is now available in paperback, both in Spain and in the United States.
Click here to order from Amazon Spain.
Click here to order from Amazon U.S.
And don’t forget about the Spanish-language editions of THE RISING and CITY OF THE DEAD! Click here and scroll down to Foreign Translations for links to those and more.
There are a bunch more Spanish editions on the way, as well.
Italian-language editions of EARTHWORM GODS and EARTHWORM GODS II: DELUGE are on sale now in multiple editions, and available to customers worldwide from publisher Independent Legions.
Click here to order the Italian Limited Edition of EARTHWORM GODS. (Standard and Kindle editions forthcoming)
Click here to order the Italian Limited Edition of EARTHWORM GODS II: DELUGE.
Click here to order the Italian standard edition of EARTHWORM GODS II: DELUGE.
Click here to order the Italian Kindle edition of EARTHWORM GODS II: DELUGE.
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The official J.F. Gonzalez website has been completely revamped. It includes a store, gallery, and — as requested by fans — complete bibliography (which is still a work in progress) which also includes his various pseudonyms. Click here and bookmark it!
Now, here is the thing about the pseudonyms. Jesus wrote a lot of porn stories (what these days is called erotica) for the late-market men's magazines of the late-Nineties. Before his death, he'd started republishing those works as Kindle collections, under the pseudonym Richard Long, which he'd originally written them as. This wasn't the only pseudonym he'd used. He'd also edited under the name Gilbert Schloss and written thrillers under the name Angel Garcia. But his plan for Richard Long was to create an entirely separate revenue stream -- republishing those works but never letting the public know it was him. Not because he was embarrassed, but because he wanted the erotica to garner a readership on its own.
In the years since his death, we've kept that third pseudonym a secret. But in talking with his wife, Cathy, last week, we decided to go ahead an make it public. There's a ton of Richard Long stories that have yet to be collected, and we are running out of new J.F. Gonzalez stories, so we felt it was time.
Just understand in advance. if you purchase one of the two Richard Long books currently available on Kindle (both of which Jesus published before his death) you're not getting CLICKERS or SURVIVOR or PRIMITIVE. You're getting "Dear Penthouse Forum, although I read your letters regularly, I never though they could happen to me until..."
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Author L. Marie Wood is an old friend of mine. I first met her (I think) back in 2003 or 2004, when she, myself, Jesus Gonzalez, Mary SanGiovanni, Matthew Warner, F. Paul Wilson, Douglas Winter, Elizabeth Massie and a bunch of other folks did a signing together in the Washington D.C. suburbs.
Her new book THE REALM comes out next week. I haven't read it yet, but the description sounds frigging amazing, and based on reading her past works, I know I'll dig it. You might dig it, as well. Check it out here.
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That is my cover blurb for WE ARE WOLVES -- a new anthology edited by Gemma Amor, Cynthia Pelayo, and Laurel Hightower, and featuring an exclusively female line-up of contributors. Hands down, it's the best anthology I've read this year. I believe it goes on sale soon, so keep an eye out for it.
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Speaking of things that are coming soon, not sure how I buried the lede with this newsletter this week, but LEVI STOLTZFUS is back, baby!
CENTRALIA: EPICENTER is a new anthology by myself, Cullen Bunn, Adam Cesare, Brian Quinn, Heath Amodio, and Michael Patrick Hicks. My story features Levi, and takes place immediately after the events of A GATHERING OF CROWS. It also features my other occult detective character, combat magician Don Bloom. And if you go back an re-read A GATHERING OF CROWS this week, you'll see that I set that meeting up in the novel.
Here's the official stuff:
Evil has a network beneath Earth’s surface and its name is CENTRALIA.
On Halloween, six writers come together to explore supernatural mystery and horror in six towns that share the name Centralia.
The United States is home to twelve towns of varying sizes called Centralia, where thousands of people live, never realizing that supernatural forces are aligning against them. Strange events have occurred in one Centralia or another since the 1800’s, but these events are growing more intense with every passing day. A powerful, malevolent force prepares to unleash its evil upon the world through Centralia gateways located in New York, Missouri, West Virginia, Kansas, Texas, and Washington.
CENTRALIA: EPICENTER presents six prose stories, six unique supernatural mysteries, six fictionalized versions of Centralia towns, and six unlikely heroes standing against burgeoning darkness. In these tales, readers will meet a necromancer who carries a secret the Lords of the Dead will kill to protect, an ex-special forces combat magician, a clockwork robot detective, a professor of occult studies who refuses to stand idly by when evil rears its ugly head, a blind psychic who sees through her grandmother's eyes, and a martial artist with an affinity for cryptids.
Six writers have joined forces to bring these tales to life. Brian Keene is the author of more than fifty books, mostly in the horror, crime, and fantasy genres; His work includes THE RISING, DARK HOLLOW, GHOUL, and DEAD SEA. Michael Patrick Hicks is the author of horror titles including THE RESURRECTIONISTS, BROKEN SHELLS, and MASS HYSTERIA. Adam Cesare is the author of books such as CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD and VIDEO NIGHT. Brian Quinn is one of the stars of TruTV’s IMPRACTICAL JOKERS and the co-creator of the graphic novel METRO. Cullen Bunn is the writer of comic books such as THE SIXTH GUN, HARROW COUNTY, BONE PARISH, and THE EMPTY MAN. Heath Amodio is the founders of Hustle & Heart Films and Executive Producer on their first three film and television projects.
CENTRALIA: EPICENTER is the first in a series of shared world anthologies. Each volume will present new tales of horror, mystery, and suspense. The characters introduced in this volume will interact and partner up in future adventures—all leading to the ultimate confrontation with the supernatural evil growing under the surface of our world.
The book will be available on October 31 for Kindle and in print through Amazon.
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On the latest episode of DEFENDERS DIALOGUE, it's muck monster versus muck monster as the Man-Thing battles the Glob! Christopher Golden and I discuss Giant-Size Man-Thing issue 1 and a rare essay on horror by Steve Gerber.
Listen for free on iTunes – YouTube – Libsyn – iHeartRadio – Stitcher
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Lost some work time this week due to a needed adjustment in my blood pressure meds and a sinus infection. Not sure how I contracted the latter since I don't go anywhere and don't see anyone. I thought the whole point of quarantine was to avoid getting sick?
Anyway, they got my hypertension meds straightened out, so I'm not so close to suffering a massive stroke while sparring with some pinhead on Twitter, and antibiotics are fixing the sinus infection.
What work I was able to do was focused on PROJECT: CASTLE and the daily Patreon updates. PROJECT: CASTLE will pretty much dominate my work schedule for the rest of the year. I hope to have the first draft finished by the end of November.
I've been enjoying watching folks try to piece together what it is. Again, I can't say anything more than has already been said. Everything should be revealed early next year. I will say this -- even if you *think* you know what it is, you're only half right. Or half wrong.
And no, you won't get anywhere by bribing pre-readers Tod Clark, Dezm, or Macker because they don't know what it is, either. The only people outside of those directly involved that know what it is are Mary, Coop, Bev Vincent, my ex-wife, and my two sons. And they ain't talking either.
So sha la, la, la, la, la, my lady.
(Yes, I'm back on my Yacht Rock kick, after a week spent listening exclusively to various albums by Body Count and Robert Plant. But the Yacht Rock might also be a clue, given the era and time frame much of those songs were recorded...)
Has it ever occurred to you that Larry Underwood's "Baby, Can You Dig Your Man?' was, in fact, what is now called Yacht Rock?
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A reminder about helping out Elizabeth, and keeping her and her cat from ending up homeless due to illness and the loss of her job. I donated and I encourage you to do so, as well, if you have the means. Even just $10 will make a difference. Click here for details.
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That's it for this week. As always, a few reminders:
PATREON - Where I post new short stories, writing advice essays, three serialized ongoing novels, and behind-the-scenes stuff EVERY SINGLE DAY.
TWITTER - The only social media outlet I still use regularly.
YOUTUBE - Where I'm posting free stuff each week.
I'll see you back here next week!